1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for winding up a magnetic tape in a cassette wherein a plurality of cassette cases, each having a pair of reels to which both edges of a leader tape are connected, are conveyed one after another to a wind-up position, at which magnetic tape is wound up therein, and are then conveyed away from the wind-up position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An apparatus for winding up magnetic tape in a cassette is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 56(1981)-30479. The disclosed apparatus comprises a hopper for accommodating a plurality of cassette cases, each having a pair of reels, to which both edges of a leader tape are connected. The cassette cases are accommodated side by side in approximately upright orientations, and fall by gravity one after another from a cassette case outlet, which is formed at the lower edge of the hopper, into a movement path. A wind-up waiting position is located midway along the movement path. A moveable frame having a stop roller on its bottom part is located at the wind-up waiting position and receives a cassette case, which has fallen by gravity from the hopper, with the stop roller. Thereafter, the moveable frame moves in a direction approximately normal to the direction of the movement path in order to locate the cassette case at a wind-up position. At the wind-up position, a magnetic tape is wound up in the cassette case. The moveable frame then moves the cassette case, in which the magnetic tape has been wound up, to the wind-up waiting position in the movement path. At this position, the stop roller releases the cassette case. It then falls by gravity along the movement path and is discharged from the apparatus.
However, the disclosed apparatus for winding up a magnetic tape in a cassette has problems in that many processes must be carried out from the time when a cassette case, in which a magnetic tape has been wound up, is conveyed from the wind-up position to the time when a next cassette case is fed to the moveable frame. Therefore, a long cycle time is required to process each cassette case. Also, it is not always possible to feed a cassette case smoothly to the moveable frame.
Specifically, with the disclosed apparatus for winding up a magnetic tape in a cassette, between the time when a cassette case in which a magnetic tape has been wound up is conveyed from the wind-up position and the time when a next cassette case in which magnetic tape has not yet been wound up is fed to the moveable frame, it is necessary to move the cassette case, in which a magnetic tape has been wound up, from the wind-up position to the wind-up waiting position. Thereafter, the stop roller releases the cassette case, and it falls by gravity from the moveable frame and is discharged from the apparatus. A sensor detects that the cassette case has fallen to a position below the stop roller, and then the stop roller is set for receiving a next cassette case in which magnetic tape has not yet been wound up. Thereafter, the hopper allows the next cassette case to fall to the moveable frame. Accordingly, with the disclosed apparatus for winding up a magnetic tape in a cassette, the following five processes must be carried out from the time when a cassette case in which a magnetic tape has been wound up is conveyed from the wind-up position to the time when a next cassette case is fed to the moveable frame:
(1) a process for conveying the cassette case, in which the magnetic tape has been wound up, to the wind-up waiting position, PA1 (2) a process for releasing the stop roller, PA1 (3) a process for confirming that the cassette case, in which the magnetic tape has been wound up, has fallen to a position below the stop roller, PA1 (4) a process for setting the stop roller for receiving a next cassette case in which magnetic tape has not yet been wound up, and PA1 (5) a process for feeding a cassette case, in which magnetic tape has not yet been wound up, from the hopper to the moveable frame. As a result, processing each cassette case requires a long cycle time. PA1 the apparatus for winding up a magnetic tape in a cassette comprising: PA1 wherein said first conveyance means receives a cassette case, in which magnetic tape has not yet been wound up, at said cassette case receiving position, conveys said cassette case to said wind-up waiting position at which said first conveyance means causes said cassette case to become associated with said second conveyance means which is located at said wind-up waiting position, and thereafter returns to said cassette case receiving position in order to receive a new cassette case in which magnetic tape has not yet been wound up, PA1 said second conveyance means conveys said cassette case, which was associated therewith at said wind-up waiting position by the action of said first conveyance means, to said wind-up position, at which magnetic tape is wound up therein, and thereafter conveys said cassette case to said wind-up waiting position, and PA1 said first conveyance means thereafter conveys said new cassette case, in which magnetic tape has not yet been wound up, to said wind-up waiting position, at which said first conveyance means causes said new cassette case to become associated with said second conveyance means which is now located at said wind-up waiting position, and pushes said previous cassette case, in which magnetic tape has been wound up and which is associated with said second conveyance means, out of said second conveyance means through an operation wherein said first conveyance means causes said new cassette case to become associated with said second conveyance means. PA1 (1) a process wherein the second conveyance means conveys the cassette case, in which the magnetic tape has been wound up, to the wind-up waiting position, and PA1 (2) a process wherein the first conveyance means conveys the new cassette case, in which magnetic tape has not yet been wound up, to the wind-up waiting position (the cassette case in which the magnetic tape has been wound up being simultaneously conveyed out of the second conveyance means). Accordingly, the cycle time required to process each cassette case is kept markedly short.
Also, with the disclosed apparatus for winding up a magnetic tape in a cassette, a cassette case falls by gravity when it is fed to the moveable frame. Because the cassette case, which is being fed to the moveable frame, has no magnetic tape wound up in it, it is very light in weight. Therefore, a problem that readily arises is that the cassette case tilts as it falls by gravity and gets caught in the movement path. As a result, the cassette case feeding operations stop.